Indicator



Dec. 1, 1925. 1.563.534

DE WALT WZ SMITH I INDICATOR Filed May 1'7, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z, mvsu'ron Jig;- a

WITNESS:

Dec. 1, 1925.

1,563,534 DE WALT w. SMITH INDICATOR Filed May 1'7, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 J V J11 g has'fi aza J13 Cram ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE WALT W. SMITH, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO NEAL V, TBA TMAN, OF LOU SVIL E, KENTUCKY.

INDICATOR.

Application filed May 17, 1920. Serial No. 382,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DE WALT WV. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an indicator for use on cotton carding machines and the like, the principal object of the invention being to provide an indicator for indicating the displacement of the grinders upon the wires of the carding rollers.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the indicator may be attached to the shafts of the grinders without changing the construction of said shafts 1n any way. 7

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cap for engaging each end of the grinder shaft with means for supporting all the parts of the indicator mechanism from said cap.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a carding machine showing my invention ap plied thereto.

Figure 2 is a front view showing a pair of the carding cylinders and the grinders therefor.

Figure 3 is a view showing how the indicators are arranged in connection with the grinders and carding cylinder.

Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of one of the indicators.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through one of the indicators.

Figure 6 is a view looking towards the inner side of one of the indicators.

Figure 7 is a detail view of part of the grinding means.

In these drawings 1 and 2 indicate the carding cylinders which, as is well unders d, are provided with a p r l ty of wires for straigthening the fibers of the cotton. In order to keep these wires of a uniform length, grinding mechanism is provided which is pressed into contact with the wires whenever necessary. This mechanism consists of a shaft 3 for each cylinder, each shaft being carried by a pair of slotted hangers l which are adjustably secured to the frame of the machine by the nuts and bolts 4: the bolts passing through the slots in the hang ers. Vhen the grinding means are to be used the nutsare loosened so that the grinding means can be pressed downwardly upon the wires but when the grinding means are not in use the hangers are raised until the lower ends of the slots engage the bolts and then the nuts are tightened to hold the parts in this position. As is well known the shafts 3 are provided with the spiral grooves 8" to receive the projections on' the grinding wheels 5 so that as the wheels are rotated they will also be moved back and forth upon the shafts. Each shaft is enclosed in aslotted casing 5", the proection 5 extending through the slot 5". Each shaft is provided with a pulley 3* and a pulley 5 is connected with each casing. These pulleys are connected with pulleys on a rotating part of the carding machine by the belts a so that both the shaft and the casing are rotated to give the grinder wheel its rotary and reciprocatory movements. As the grinding means are of well known construction and form no part of my invention it is thought that further description thereof is unnecessary, it being seen that the grinding wheels will be moved back and forth along the shafts as they are being rotated, thus bringing them in contact with all the wires of the cylinders. To properly grind these wires requires considerable skill on the part of the operator as he must know just how far he must move the grinding means to remove just the right amount of material to be removed from the wires. It is the object of my invention to provide positive means for indicating the position of the grinding means relative to the axis of the wire cylinders and in carrying out my invention I provide indicator mechanism 6, adapted to be placed upon each grinder shaft and having a part for engaging the cylinder so that the amount of displacement of the grinding means in order to place the grinding wheels in contact with the ires will be indicated by a dial and finger forming pa r-tot the indicator mechanism. This mechanism consists of a cap 7 at each end of the grinding means having a hole therein to receive the reduced end of the grinder shaft, the cap loosely engaging the grinder means so that it will not rotate therewith. This cap carries a tubular upright 8 through which the rod 9 passes. This rod is provided with an enlarged front portion having an elongated opening 10 therein through which the small end of the shaft passes. The cap is provided with small fingers 11 which act as guides for saidenlarged part of the red. A casing 12 is carried by the upper end of the tubular suy port '8 and this casing carries the dial 13 and a shaft 1% to which the finger 15 is secured. This shaft also carries a pinion 16 nd theend of the rod 9 within the casing is provided with a rack 17 which engages said pinion. A spring 18 engages the top of the rod and tends" to hold the same in its lowest position with the linger at zero. The lower end of rod Qcarries an arm 19 which has a roller 20 at its extremity.

hen the grinder mechanism is'to be used the bolts of the hangers are loosened and the caps are grasped by the hands of the operator and the entire devicemoved downwardly upon the cylinder with the rollers 20' engaging the" edges of the cylinder, which are free of wires. Sulhcient pressure is exerted to force the grinder wheel 5'against the wires-0f the'cylinder andthe shaft of the grinder mechanism must be held perfectly levelin orderto cause the grinder wheel to grind all the wires; the same length; This can be readily done-by havin'gthe in?- dic'at or's re isterin thesame amount of dis-- &)

placement, thus showing that each end of the 'l111'Cl111 mechanisnr has'been moved the same amount as theother' end. The pressure of each-roller 20 upon the cylinder will cause the: rod 9 to move upwardly and the extent" of this movement will be indicated by the" finger'belng'swung around the'dial by the engagement of the rackl? with the pinion 16.

The indicators for the upper cylinder are provided with rollers 20 of greater diameter than such rollers on the indicators for the lower cylinder.

It is thought from the foregoing description'that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to b'e'understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangemet of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is l. A displacement indicator for the grind ing mecl'ianism of carding machines com prising a cap at each end of the grinding means, said cap rotatably receiving such grinding means, a guiding member carried by said cap and moi-"able transversely of the axis of said cap, a dial supported by said guiding member, a linger associated with the dial, a rod slidably supported by said guiding men'iber, an arm at the lower end or" said rod for engaging the carding cylinder and means for comi'nunicating the movement of the rod to the finger.

2. A. displacement indicator for the grinding mechanism of carding machines comprising a capat each end of the grinding means, said cap ro-tatably receiving such grinding means, a" tubular upright carried by said cap and movable transversely of the axisohsaid cap, a dial'c'asing at the upper end of said upright, a shalt journaled in saidcasing, a' finger-on the end of said shaft cooperating with the dial, ap'inion on the saidlast mentioned-shaft" a rod passing through'theupright and having a racl: on its upper endengaging the pinion, an arm extending at right angles to the lower end of the rod and a roller on said arm for engaging the carding cylinder.

In testimony wher'eofl afi'ix'my signature.

DE WALT lV; SMITH. 

